With modern, high-speed military aircraft, accurate separation of internally stored weapons cannot be accomplished by conventional gravity release. Typically, the weapon has to be physically ejected from the aircraft with considerable force. This is particularly true if the aircraft is traveling at transonic or supersonic velocities because of the interference caused by shock waves which can deflect the weapon from its desired trajectory. Furthermore, if the weapon is a rocket-propelled missile, it must be extended or ejected clear of the aircraft's interior prior to ignition of the engine.
One of the problems caused by this requirement is that the bomb bay and the opening thereto must be sufficiently large enough to accommodate not only the weapon but any horizontal translation during extension and/or retraction thereof. Typical prior art designs suspend the weapon directly from beams pivotally mounted to the airframe which are rotated downward upon extension to put the weapon into the airstream. Unfortunately, this causes the weapon to travel a considerable horizontal distance and necessarily increases the length of the bomb bay. This reduces the space in the aircraft available for other equipment and/or fuel. Furthermore, drag is increased when the bomb-bay doors are extended, due to the larger opening. Thus, it becomes readily apparent that having an extension system that extends the weapon substantially in a vertical path, whether the weapon be a bomb or self-powered missile, would allow the use of a bomb bay with a minimum horizontal length for a weapon of a given length.
Patents showing extension and retraction systems discovered in our search of the prior art (none of which are considered pertinent) are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,566, "Typewriter Cabinet" by C. B. Lundstrom; U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,710, "Supporting Mechanisms" by J. M. Noble; U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,007, "Camera Hoist" by S. Krilanovich; U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,994, "Straight Line Carrier Device" by J. A. Daniel, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,286, "Automatic Devices for Bringing a Measuring Gauge into the Position of Measurement and Withdrawing said Gauge from that Position" by P. Buisson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,862, "Travelling Overhead Carriage Mining Machine with Articulated, Tool Carrying Boom" by K. H. Dabell et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,134, "Machine Tool Driving Apparatus" by M. Mori; U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,189, "Temperature Stabilized Linkage" by G. Y. Ohgi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,960, "Rocking Device for Continuous Casting Molds" by P. Colombo; U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,315, "X-Ray Examination Apparatus" by H. Waerve et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,985, Straight Line Link Mechanism" by I. D. Bond.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the subject invention to provide a simplified, vertical extension and retraction system for stores aboard an aircraft.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a stores extension and retraction system that becomes locked in an over-center position when in the extended position, allowing for the absorption of upward, and fore and aft horizontal loads.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an extension and retraction system for stores aboard an aircraft that, when in a retracted position, takes up a minimum amount of space within the stores compartment.